By naturopath Margaret Jasinska 

A recent study has shown that in some people, violent behaviour and anger may be related to high levels of inflammation in their bodies.

Researchers measured levels of inflammatory chemicals in the blood of 70 people who had been diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder (IED). This is a condition that involves repeated episodes of impulsive aggression and temper tantrums. It is seen in people who carry out domestic violence, road rage, or people who throw objects or break them while in a fit of rage.

The researchers compared those people to a group of individuals diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder not involving aggression, and to a group of mentally healthy individuals. The results of this study were published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry and clearly showed a relationship between levels of two markers of inflammation and impulsivity and aggression in people with IED, but not in healthy individuals or non-aggressive individuals.

It is interesting to see this relationship between anger and inflammation. If you have ever experienced a sprained ankle, you know that inflammation can cause swelling, redness and pain. We often describe wounds and injuries as looking angry. It is no surprise then that excessive inflammation in the body can have an effect on a person’s state of mind.

Some chronic health problems are marked by high levels of inflammation; they include arthritis, fibromyalgia, allergies, autoimmune diseases and any painful conditions. Inflammation is well known to affect the brain. Low mood, anxiety, low motivation and foggy head are typical manifestations of excess inflammation. This is because levels of neurotransmitters in the brain are adversely affected.  Calming down the inflammation will help specific health conditions, but it will also help a person’s state of mind.

The biggest contributor to chronic inflammation in the body is gut problems. Leaky gut, overgrowth of the wrong gut bugs, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and food sensitivities can be the root cause of many varied health problems. It can take some time to resolve those issues, and a restricted diet may need to be adhered to for a while. There is a lot of detailed information on how to address these issues in our book Healing Autoimmune Disease: A plan to help your immune system and reduce inflammation. Having the wrong gut bugs can cause bloating and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. The clove, oregano and thyme in BactoClear capsules can help to address this. Glutamine is an excellent remedy for those with a leaky gut because the cells that line your intestines use it for their growth and metabolism. Glutamine, plus other gut healing nutrients are found in Ultimate Gut Health powder.

Selenium has natural anti-inflammatory benefits.